Salmon with Lemon Mint Dressing

Courtesy of Coastal Living

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of fresh salmon at the market. I came across this recipe online and it sounded light and delicious. This was a really easy recipe, and because I wasn't making as much salmon as the recipe, I had a lot of leftover dressing. I plan to use it on the rainbow trout I plan to cook tomorrow night for dinner! The fresh mint with the shallot and lemon was so tasty and really added a great flavor. I served this with some sauteed bok choy tossed with a little salt, pepper, olive oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon lemon zest 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

1/4 teaspoon sugar 

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided 

1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 

1 tablespoon finely minced shallot

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets 

Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
Directions:
Whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl; slowly whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir in shallot and mint. Set aside.
Sprinkle salmon with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté salmon 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Drizzle with dressing. Garnish, if desired.

Zesty Braised Chicken with Lemon & Capers

Courtesy of Food & Wine
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/zesty-braised-chicken-with-lemon-and-capers

Anyone that knows me, knows I LOVE capers. Absolutely love them, and hate olives - this confuses many people. There are so different in my opinion! In any event, I came across this recipe which had great reviews and gave it a shot. It was very tasty! I usually get skinless and boneless chicken thighs, but this time I went for the bone-in, with the skin on. It really added flavor. I even used the leftover sauce to put on my roasted cauliflower. Double win! I halved the recipe since it was just two of us - but the below is for the original.

Ingredients:
8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin (6 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large peeled garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
Four 1-inch strips of lemon zest
4 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, lemon zest, thyme, capers and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and braise for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender.
3. Return the skillet to the stove and boil until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme, bay leaf and lemon zest, if desired, before serving.